The Resource Centre holds all our documents (briefings, consultation responses, press releases and reports). Signed-in members also have access to projects. You can search the Resource Centre by topic or by type of document.
Resources
Resources
Delivering a greener future - Urban freight and the decarbonisation of the city regions
January, 2022
Our city regions rely on the smooth movement of goods to keep supermarket shelves stocked, hospitals supplied with medicine and other equipment, to deliver construction materials and support thriving economies.
However, the current dominance of road freight, produces many negative impacts for our cities.
This report sets out the role for freight in decarbonising city regions and the need for freight to play its part in creating urban areas that are greener, fairer, happier, healthier and more prosperous places.
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Making rail reform work for people and places in the city regions
December, 2021
This statement calls for rail reform to both build on the success of the devolution of rail powers which has already taken place, and for structured and meaningful involvement for the city regions in how rail reform plans unfold.
It sets out a range of scenarios for how the proven benefits of devolving further responsibilities for rail could be extended to more passengers and places. These include options for extending and deepening local control and accountability for both rail services, infrastructure and investment.
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Creating a Road Collision Investigation Branch
December, 2021
UTG response to DfT proposal to create a Road Collision Investigation Branch to investigate the causes of road traffic collisions.
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
The threat to public transport in the city regions
December, 2021
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Future of Transport regulatory review: regulatory sandboxes
November, 2021
UTG response to DfT consultation on the use of regulatory sandboxes to support innovation in surface transport.
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
Future of transport regulatory review: zero emission vehicles
November, 2021
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
Fully charged: Powering up the potential of e-bikes in the city regions
November, 2021
This report, produced by consultants Steer for the Urban Transport Group, aims to quantify and understand the potential to increasing e-bike uptake in the UK, particularly in the city regions, and the benefits that could be realised as a result. It breaks new ground by presenting different scenarios on the potential for e-bikes to achieve mode shift from cars and taxis, and to deliver environmental and economic benefits.
The report also aims to support urban transport authorities to consider practical approaches to increasing e-bike uptake.
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Leading Light: What Light Rail can do for City Regions
October, 2021
This report, produced by Steer for the Urban Transport Group, shows how Britain’s light rail systems have supported economic growth in the areas that they serve, promoted social inclusion and led to environmental gain, including a reduction in carbon emissions.
It argues there is a need to maintain the connectivity provided by light rail as the economies of the towns and cities that light rail serves recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It says investment in maintenance and renewal will continue and potentially enhance the benefits that light rail brings and that a stable Government policy and funding environment will help promoters come forward with light rail proposals that will bring further economic, societal and environmental benefits.
Concessionary Travel Covid-19 Recovery Strategy - Consultation: call for evidence
September, 2021
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
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The threat to public transport in the city regions
December, 2021
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The role of LRT during and after the pandemic
May, 2021
This factsheet sets out examples and statistics on the key role that light rail has played in getting key workers where they need to be during the pandemic and the essential role it will have in building back better afterwards.
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National Initiatives on Skills and Diversity for the Transport Sector
January, 2021
This resource brings together national initiatives on skills and diversity with relevance to the transport sector. This is the only such resource for the transport sector. It can help organisations looking to diversify their workforce, help to raise the profile of careers in transport to the next generation and support inclusion and wellbeing in the current transport workforce.
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Briefing on Light Rail
December, 2020
This updated briefing on Light Rail Systems answers some of the most frequently asked questions about this mode of transport, and presents the benefits that Light Rail can bring.
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Spending review 2020 analysis
December, 2020
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Funding and delivering bus services during the pandemic and beyond
November, 2020
This document proposes a two stage approach to ensuring the most efficient use of public funding to provide the best possible bus service during the pandemic, whilst setting in place the foundations for reversing the decline in bus use that was taking place before the pandemic.
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Bus Policy
November, 2020
This updated briefing looks at why buses matter and how bus policy works. It explains the significant challenges facing the sector (including the COVID-19 pandemic) and how city regions are backing the bus. It also sets out how the 2017 Bus Services Act could help make bus services better.
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UK Transport Governance - an introduction
October, 2020
Read our updated briefing to find out more about how transport is governed in the UK.
Topic:
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Delivering a greener future - Urban freight and the decarbonisation of the city regions
January, 2022
Our city regions rely on the smooth movement of goods to keep supermarket shelves stocked, hospitals supplied with medicine and other equipment, to deliver construction materials and support thriving economies.
However, the current dominance of road freight, produces many negative impacts for our cities.
This report sets out the role for freight in decarbonising city regions and the need for freight to play its part in creating urban areas that are greener, fairer, happier, healthier and more prosperous places.
Topic:
Making rail reform work for people and places in the city regions
December, 2021
This statement calls for rail reform to both build on the success of the devolution of rail powers which has already taken place, and for structured and meaningful involvement for the city regions in how rail reform plans unfold.
It sets out a range of scenarios for how the proven benefits of devolving further responsibilities for rail could be extended to more passengers and places. These include options for extending and deepening local control and accountability for both rail services, infrastructure and investment.
Topic:
Fully charged: Powering up the potential of e-bikes in the city regions
November, 2021
This report, produced by consultants Steer for the Urban Transport Group, aims to quantify and understand the potential to increasing e-bike uptake in the UK, particularly in the city regions, and the benefits that could be realised as a result. It breaks new ground by presenting different scenarios on the potential for e-bikes to achieve mode shift from cars and taxis, and to deliver environmental and economic benefits.
The report also aims to support urban transport authorities to consider practical approaches to increasing e-bike uptake.
Topic:
Leading Light: What Light Rail can do for City Regions
October, 2021
This report, produced by Steer for the Urban Transport Group, shows how Britain’s light rail systems have supported economic growth in the areas that they serve, promoted social inclusion and led to environmental gain, including a reduction in carbon emissions.
It argues there is a need to maintain the connectivity provided by light rail as the economies of the towns and cities that light rail serves recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It says investment in maintenance and renewal will continue and potentially enhance the benefits that light rail brings and that a stable Government policy and funding environment will help promoters come forward with light rail proposals that will bring further economic, societal and environmental benefits.
Back the Bus to Level Up
September, 2021
This report makes the case for bus revenue funding and reform of how it is provided.
It aims to arrive at a realistic assessment of the revenue funding that will be needed to support the ambitious transformation in bus services envisaged by the National Bus Strategy. It also looks at how the way in which funding is provided could be reformed in order to offer better value for public money and enable it to be targeted in the most effective way locally.
The report:
- Reviews the overall case for revenue support for bus.
- Uses our Metropolitan Bus Model to test different revenue funding scenarios for their impact on service levels, fares and patronage.
- Makes the case for reform of the way in which revenue support for buses is provided.
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Building back better on urban transport
June, 2021
As the network of transport authorities serving the largest city regions in England, we worked together to keep the wheels of public transport turning during the lockdown so that key workers could get to where they needed to be.
In this paper we set out how, with the right policy framework from Government, we can meet the challenge of ramping up public transport and prioritising cycling and walking to support a green and just recovery.
(Updated version June 2021)
A new deal for urban transport: for the pandemic and beyond
February, 2021
This short paper shows how urban transport authorities have been keeping the wheels of public transport turning during the pandemic, working together to meet the challenges of COVID-19, whilst delivering better transport for a green and just recovery from it.
But transport authorities lack long-term, coherent and sufficient Government funding and key powers to provide the best service they can during the pandemic or in the longer term to transform and coordinate public transport.
Our case is set out in more detailed reports here including Building back better on urban transport.
Now is the time for a new deal on urban transport.
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The Covid-19 Funding Gap: The Case for Continuing Support for Urban Public Transport
September, 2020
This report, produced by transport consultancy Steer for the Urban Transport Group, warns that the future of local public transport services is at serious risk without continued COVID-19 financial support from Government.
It highlights how Government support allowed public transport to continue during the national lockdown (enabling key workers to travel to and from work) and to provide a more comprehensive service at lower socially distanced vehicle capacity following the end of the lockdown.
But the report paints a stark picture for both bus and light rail systems should this support be withdrawn prematurely.
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Towards an appropriate legal and regulatory framework for smart futures on transport
September, 2020
Commissioned from consultants Steer, this report seeks to provide an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses the current UK legal and regulatory framework for smart transport futures in relation to the key challenges that UK transport authorities face. It also explores the potential for anticipatory regulation, principles that could underpin any changes to the framework and recommendations for priority areas in need of reform.
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Action stations: How devolution is transforming rail stations for the better
August, 2020
This report focuses on the benefits of the involvement of devolved authorities in rail stations.
It does so by looking at over 35 case studies of how and why devolved authorities have improved stations for the better in recent years – and the wide range of different kinds of benefits that this has brought for passengers and the places the railway serves. These benefits include helping to meet local housing need and sparking regeneration, turning run-down stations into gateways and places to be proud of, and improving the accessibility and environmental performance of station buildings.
The report goes further by looking at the potential to achieve even greater results through devolving more responsibilities for stations, such as delivering common branding with the rest of the local public transport network, through to ensuring plans and funding for stations is integrated with wider plans around housing, economic development and decarbonisation.
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Creating a Road Collision Investigation Branch
December, 2021
UTG response to DfT proposal to create a Road Collision Investigation Branch to investigate the causes of road traffic collisions.
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
Future of Transport regulatory review: regulatory sandboxes
November, 2021
UTG response to DfT consultation on the use of regulatory sandboxes to support innovation in surface transport.
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
Future of transport regulatory review: zero emission vehicles
November, 2021
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
Concessionary Travel Covid-19 Recovery Strategy - Consultation: call for evidence
September, 2021
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
Submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review 2021
September, 2021
This is our submission to HM Treasury's Comprehensive Spending Review 2021. In our submission, we warn Government that wider objectives for carbon reduction and levelling up (as well as the specific objectives of the national active travel and bus strategies) cannot be met without increased spending on local transport. Indeed, without additional funding bus patronage (and bus network size) are likely to remain at levels well below what they were pre-pandemic (when patronage and network size were already at an all-time low).
To fully realise the benefits of enhanced, devolved and longer term funding for local transport we need city region transport authorities which are fully empowered to take decisions across the modes in a way which reflects local circumstances and aspirations.
Consulting body:
HM Treasury
Document:
Traffic Commissioner Function
September, 2021
Consulting body:
Traffic Commissioners
Public Transport Ticketing Scheme Block Exemption
May, 2021
Consulting body:
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Topic:
Automated Vehicles: Consultation Paper 3 – A regulatory framework for automated vehicles
March, 2021
UTG response to the third Law Commission consultation on automated vehicles and the regulatory framework that should apply to them.
Consulting body:
Law Commission
Topic:
Major transport infrastructure projects: appraisal and delivery
January, 2021
Our response to the Transport Committee inquiry into the appraisal and delivery of major transport infrastructure projects. This inquiry considers: transport infrastructure strategy and priorities; the appraisal and funding of transport infrastructure; oversight, accountability and governance of transport infrastructure projects; and factors influencing the cost and capacity and skills required to deliver the infrastructure plans.
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
Reforming Public Transport after the Pandemic
December, 2020
This is the Urban Transport Group's response to the Transport Select Committee's inquiry into the long-term implications of the coronavirus pandemic for UK public transport.
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
Topic:
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Greening urban freight key to decarbonising city regions, says report
Thursday, January 20, 2022
The greening of urban freight and logistics is central to decarbonisation strategies both nationally and within city regions, says a new report by the Urban Transport Group.
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City regions must help shape rail reform to ensure benefits reach more people and places
Monday, December 13, 2021
City regions must ‘have a seat at the table’ when decisions are taken about how the Government’s reform of the railways is implemented – a new statement from the Urban Transport Group urges.
Urban Transport Group responds to new Plan B rules on COVID
Thursday, December 9, 2021
The Urban Transport Group has responded to the Government’s decision to move to Plan B rules to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID.
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100 million car and taxi trips in city regions could be replaced by e-bikes if Government delivers target for shift to cycling, new report shows
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Over 100 million car and taxi trips made in city regions each year could instead be on e-bikes if the Government is able to deliver its target for mode shift to cycling, according to a new report by consultants Steer for the Urban Transport Group (UTG).
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Urban Transport Group responds to Spending Review
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Responding to today’s Spending Review, Jonathan Bray, Director of the Urban Transport Group, said:
Protect and expand Britain’s light rail systems to aid city regions’ recovery from COVID pandemic, urges report
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Britain’s light rail systems are instrumental in supporting economic growth, promoting social inclusion and achieving environmental gains (including a reduction in carbon emissions) in the urban areas that they serve.
Government will miss carbon reduction objectives and levelling up goals without more local transport spending, warn city regions
Thursday, September 23, 2021
The Government will fail to meet its objectives around carbon reduction and levelling up unless it increases spending on local transport as part of the Spending Review.
Urban Transport Group welcomes Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to growing network
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
The Urban Transport Group (UTG) has today welcomed Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) as its latest Associate Member, meaning UTG now has members from all ten Combined Authority areas, as well as from each of the four nations of the United Kingdom.
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New report makes case for Spending Review to back the bus
Thursday, September 9, 2021
‘Spending Review will decide whether bus strategy aspirations will be met’
Report shows current funding falls well short of what will be needed for levelling up
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Tram and light rail providers welcome new Covid funding package
Friday, July 16, 2021
The Urban Transport Group, which represents the transport authorities responsible for tram and light rail systems in the English city regions, has today welcomed a new £56 million funding package from Government for tram and light rail systems outside London.
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